One Year Is A Long Time
by XOXheartAmy
Summary: Post Ascension - Rogue revisits the X-Men after a year's absence. Trouble is, her family and friends may not approve of who came with her...


**I'm sorry if it isn't evident from my writing but Rogue is in control of her powers in this which is why she's not with the other X-Men at the start. This is set four years after the season finale. Rogue has been away from the X-Men for the last year, hence the title.**

**Ages****  
**_Rogue - 22__  
Remy - 25  
Kitty - 20 (almost 21)  
Kurt - 21  
Jean/Scott - 23  
Amara/Tabby/Jubilee/Bobby - 19  
Ororo - Old  
Professor - Very Old  
Logan - Effing Dinosaur_

**Minor references (I really mean minor) to Kiotr, Jott (even though those two get on my nerves), Samara (I just kinda like the idea), Bobbilee and Tabietro (again, I just like the idea).**

**Another imaginitive disclaimer - If I had a million pounds, I would exchange it for dollars and buy the X-Men. Since I have neither a million pounds nor the means to come by it, I cannot own the X-Men.**

**"text" - speech  
"_text_" - thoughts  
Other _italics_ are foreign words and emphasis**

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the curtains, bringing the room into semi-darkness. A hand emerged from beneath the messy sheets and groped for the switch on the bedside lamp. There was a click as the room brightened with the glow of the bulb and a face framed by mussed-up, curly, auburn-and-white hair opened its eyes, blinked in the glare of the light and let out a tired groan. Only half-awake, she swung her legs from the queen-size bed and walked to the wardrobe. She pulled out a pair of cropped blue jeans and a hunter green crop-top, hung them on the bedroom door and then walked over to the armoir. As she passed the bed, a hand reached out from the depths of the cream coloured silk sheets and grabbed her arm.

"Come back t' bed, _chere_," Remy said, opening one bleary, red-on-black eye.

"Ah can't, sugah, we gahtta finish packin'."

"We c'n jus' stay here a bit more."

"Ah'd like that, but it's a nahn-refundable ticket. Thah flahght leaves at nahne, it's a two hour check-in, an' it's nearleh seven o'clock now." she said, now trying to find matching underwear; a difficult feat when a half-naked Cajun is pressed up against your back with his arms around your waist.

"Y' gonna call dem? Dey should hear from y', it's been _une année_."

"Ah'm naht sure... Ah gaht us an apartment so yah're gahnna have tah stay there 'til thah othahs are readeh tah meet yah. Ah'm naht that sure if they'll beh okay with meh datin' an ex-Acolyte." She paused for a moment, "Yah know what? Gimme thah phone, ah gahtta call them, let them know ah'm headin' back up north."

"_Une minute_," he muttered, burying his face in her neck and kissing her shoulder.

"Rems, come o-oh..." she began, ending in a moan as his hands drifted upwards to cup her breasts.

"More dan a _minute_ I t'ink..."

Rogue twisted in his arms to face him, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck and press her lips to his. Once they pulled apart, she glanced at that luminous alarm clock. It was showing 07:05. "Oh mah Gawd! We're gahnna beh late!"

Rogue rushed to the almost empty wardrobe and pulled out the remaining clothes tossing them into the open suitcases at the end of the bed.

"Y' know dat it hurts m' t' watch y' get dressed, don' y', _chere_?"

"Ah know." She smiled sweetly. "Yah can take mah clothes off again latah though, so can yah help meh pack?"

"O' course, _chere_," he said, proceeding to rummage through her underwear

-X-O-X-

"Ah'll see yah latah, as lahng as ah can get away. Ah'll meet yah at thah mall." Rogue kissed Remy quickly and left their new Bayville appartment.

-X-O-X-

It felt as if she had never left. All the shops, streets and most of the people passing by were the same, but it was rather disconcerting too. Men, no matter whether or not they had a girlfriend, fiancée or wife with them, would stare and wolf-whistle as she passed. Rogue payed no attention. With her natural, flowing curls, emeralds that she insisted were eyes and the tan she now had from her year in the south with the love of her life, she was very attractive. Even if she had still been a goth the people she was passing would have stared at her curves in the way they were now. What really pleased her was the all-too-familiar figure of Duncan Matthews, Jean's high school ex, and Taryn Fujioka, Scott's high school ex, walking arm in arm down the street... Well, arm in arm until Duncan happened to glance in her direction, do a double-take and begin drooling. Rogue merely smirked, blew him a kiss and waggled her fingers at him, causing Taryn to become positively green with envy at the Southern belle who she just happened to be unable to recognise. Rogue eventually reached the mansion gates, typed in her access code and made her way up the drive. She rang the bell at the front door, checking her reflection in the glass to make sure the white streaks in her hair were hidden. This _had_ to be a surprise. A familiar face arrived to answer it.

"Uh... Hi!" the young woman said nervously.

"Hi," Rogue replied in a flawless New York accent, amused that the person in the doorway hadn't recognised her yet.

"Uh... Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yeah. I'm looking for Professor Xavier. Is he here?"

"Sure. Uh..."

_"Wow, she's saying 'uh' rather a lot... Hmm, makes a nice change from 'valley girl'." _Rogue thought to herself.

"How did you get in?"

"Ah tahped in mah access code," Rogue said, raking her hand through her hair, shaking loose the silver streaks, and falling back into her Mississippi accent.

"Like, oh my God! ROGUE!" Kitty jumped at Rogue, hugging her tightly.

"Wow, Kit. Yah still say 'lahke'?"

Kitty shrugged. "I totally didn't recognise you! You look so different! Oh! Do you still need to see the Prof?"

"Acually, ah need tah speak tah all the instructahs too."

"Like, sure, come in." Kitty's eyes fell on the previously unnoticed suitcase beside Rogue. "Are you, like, staying?"

"That's what ah need tah talk tah everyone about. Ah gaht fahred frahm mah jahb in Mississippi foah bein' a mutant, so ah came back. Ah onleh need tah stay here foah a while since ah'm gonna trah an' get a jahb here in Bayville an' rent an apartment." She conveniently forgot to mention that she and Remy already had an apartment and that once she had told them about their relationship, they were going to stay at the mansion as permanent members of the X-Men, although hopefully not with the 7am Danger Room sessions - it had been bad enough waking up that early this morning!

"Oh my God, that's, like, totally horrible."

Their conversation had brought them to the Professor's study.

"Like, go in. You must have, like, mental blocks 'cause he told me that he couldn't tell you with his telepathy. Everyone's in there."

Rogue nodded and hugged Kitty before grasping the door handle and entering the room.

-X-O-X-

"Ah'm jus' goin' tah thah mall, see y'all latah!"

"Oh! Can I, like, come too?"

This was what Rogue was worried about. She wanted to spend time with Remy and having Kitty at the mall with them would ruin the surprise.

"Actualleh, ah'm jus' goin' tah Borders. Ah ran outta readin' material on thah plane so ah'm gahnna grab a few books. There's no point in yah comin' too, Kitteh."

"Like, okay then. Have fun!"

-X-O-X-

"Missed y', _mon amour_."

"Ah've onleh been gahne foah 'bout an hour, are yah sayin' yah can't survahve that lahng without meh?"

"_Oui_."

"Don' worreh, hun, ah missed yah too."

Remy snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her hip against him, earning Rogue a few glares from a group of girls walking by.

"What's with them?"

"Dey were shooting _moi_ a few glances, I t'ink dey fancy m'..."

"Well ah hope they realahse that yah're mah Cajun."

"Dey do now."

Rogue somehow managed to steer him towards Victoria's Secret even though her body was practically pinned to his. He smirked down at her after seeing her choice of shop.

"Y' know dat I refuse for y' to buy anyt'ing b'fore I sees y' in it."

"Whah do yah think ah brought yah?"

His smirk just got wider.

Remy was definitely in in seventh Heaven when he saw her pick up a beautiful, strapless, leaf-green bra accented by cream lace with matching panties. He could just picture her in it; her smooth, tanned breasts peeking out of the silk, the lace across the middle of the panties giving a cheeky view of dark curls between her thighs. As he became more turned on by the image, his 'imagination Rogue' became more turned on until he was stripping off the lingerie in his mind. Of course, the entire idea went to Hell as soon as she put it back.

"Y' didn't like dat _un_, _mon coeur_?"

"Ah do," she said before holding it up again, "It's even in mah sahze but it's way too expensive." She hung it back on the rack and moved to another part of the store. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. There was no queue at the till so he quickly snatched the hanger off the rack and dashed to the cashier. The young woman looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"F'r m' girlfriend," he said, interpreting the look and nodding towards Rogue, "_C'est trop cher _f'r her t' buy herself so 'm buying f'r her.

"Wow, that's so nice of you!" the girl instantly changed from a sceptical to impressed attitude. "Is it a birthday or anniversary gift? I'm only asking because we have a free gift-wrapping service for those occasions."

"_Non_, jus' somet'in' nice f'r her. She really liked it."

"Okay, then." The girl rang up the purchase and put it in a small black bag. "That's $100."

Remy pulled out his credit card, glancing over to Rogue, making sure she hadn't seen him, and quickly paid. He smiled gratefully at the girl, muttered "_Merci_,_ m'am'selle_" and walked back over to Rogue, tucking the bag into an inside pocket of his trench coat to keep it a surprise, just in time for Rogue to turn around and ask how a black ensemble looked.

After about fifteen minutes of shopping they moved onto a different store, Remy gallantly carrying her bag of about three new sets of underwear for her even though she told him she could do it. She had a look around in the second shop but didn't buy anything before they went to the food court. They were in the middle of coffee and double-chocolate muffins when Remy reached into his coat and pulled out the bag.

"I bought dis f'r y', _chere_."

Rogue took the bag, slightly confused as to why and _when_ he had bought something for her from Victoria's Secret when he had been with her the whole time, and opened it.

"Oh mah Gawd, Remy!"

"Y' liked it _mais_ y' said it was _trop cher_ so I bought it f'r y'."

"Thank yah, it's perfect!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss, the girls from earlier looked extremely disgruntled.

"Y' wearin' dat t'night, _chere_, 'm takin' y' out f'r dinner."

"Okay, ah guess ah'm buyin' a dress, then."

Another hour's worth of shopping Rogue finally had a dress and a couple of books to back the story she used to keep Kitty away. They exchanged "I love you"s when Remy walked her to the end of Greymalkin Road, kissed her, told her he'd pick her up at the mansion's gates at eight and left for their apartment.

"Rogue!" A Kitty-shaped blur hurtled down the stairs to hug Rogue. "Like, let me see what you bought!" the younger mutant shouted in excitement, trying to grab the bags from Rogue's hand after spotting they weren't _just_ from the bookshop. "You totally said you were just going to Borders!"

"A spahtted some nahce stuff in othah shahps too, Kit. Don' worreh, ah gaht yahr psyche up here," she tapped her head, smiling, "So ah gaht yahr advahce on what tah buy."

"Well, like, let me see!"

"Upstairs, Kit, ah don' want thah boys tah see. Does thah name o' this shahp mean anehthing tah yah?" she asked, brandishing the bag with 'Victoria's Secret' printed across it.

"Oh, okay, then. Jean! Jubes! Amara! Tabby! Rogue, like, needs our opinion of her new clothes!"

The four girls rocketed into the foyer at Kitty's call, chattering like budgies, and followed the friends up to the guest wing.

After almost an hour of Rogue modelling her various purchases, the supply of clothes was finally exhausted.

"Hey! We missed one!" Jubilee called from the other side of the bed, holding up a glossy, black bag. Rogue inwardly groaned. She had tried so hard to keep _that one_ private. It was strictly for Remy's eyes only. There were 'ooh's' and gasps when the Asian girl emptied its contents onto the soft sheets.

"Wow!"

"I had no idea you had such good taste, Rogue!"

"Nice!"

"That's seriously gorgeous!"

"Like, oh my God, Rogue, how much was that?"

Rogue shrugged. "A laht."

"But, like, _how much_ is 'a lot'? Higher or lower than fifty bucks?"

"Way higher. Think double."

"You're kidding!"

"Ah'm naht. Put it this way, 'Mara: real silk, hand-woven lace, yah do thah math."

"You spent that much on yourself?" Jean asked, incredulous.

"_Ah_ didn't buy it, mah boyfriend did."

The squeals that followed the statement were so loud and high-pitched that Rogue thought the sound barrier had been broken - or, at least, Logan's eardrums. Only Tabby looked doubtful.

"Have you slept with him yet?"

No one looked surprised. Tabitha was famed for simply saying whatever she felt like saying, even if it could possibly offend someone or invade their privacy.

"Whah?"

"Well, if he bought you this," she held up the gorgeous garment, "It's pretty obvious what he wants. If you've already done it then you don't have to worry."

Now everybody was looking at Rogue intently, possibly wanting information on _everything_ she and Remy had done. It was a long list, and a lot of it was most definitely X-Rated. Rogue was suddenly very thankful for her mental blocks, just in case Jean decided to pry, and merely gave the bare minimum.

"Yeah, we have." She looked slightly dreamy for a moment before she succumbed to adding just one more point. "An' he's _realleh_ good in bed."

Kitty's eyes lit up, however, before the impending squeal of 'DETAILS!', Jubilee spoke up.

"So, do we get to meet him?"

"Naht rahght now. But ah prahmise, it'll beh a surprahse."

"Is he hot?" Amara asked.

"Of course she'll say 'yes'!" Jean said irritably, "She's _dating_ him."

"Oh, ah think y'all are gahnna think he's haht. Scotty, Bobby, Sam, Pietro an' Piotr's eyes will beh bulgin' outta their sahckets when yah see him."

"If you guys split up, I call dibs!" Tabby said excitedly.

-X-O-X-

"So are you, like, going on a date?"

"Yeah."

"Is that, like, a new dress?"

"Yeah."

"Are you, like, wearing the sexy underwear he, like, bought for you?"

"Yeah."

"Can I borrow the dress sometime?"

"No."

Kitty had been playing the 'yes/no' game all evening, trying to get a loan of the knee-length, black silk dress. Rogue had to admit, she had come close to saying "yes" to the dress question a couple of times - the girl _was_ sneaky - and she could see why she wanted it: the bodice wasn't exactly tight, but it was a snug fit, pushing her breasts to attention, even without the bra, strapless and perfectly showcasing her tiny waist; whilst the skirt was layered with a soft chiffon cascading over her hips. It was a very flattering ensemble and Remy had found it very difficult to control himself when she showed him.

"But, like, why?"

"Foah one thing, yah don' have thah rahght curves."

It was true, Kitty's figure, even though she was almost twenty one, was like that of a sixteen year old girl. Even Jean was too petite and she was a year older than Rogue.

"Fine."

After an entire hour of Kitty's nagging, Rogue was finally left alone when the valley-girl promptly left. She was just rummaging in her closet for a pair of shoes when two strong arms snaked around her waist. She let out a squeak of surprise and was about to turn on her powers when a silky and delightfully sinful voice sounded in her ear:

"Maybe we jus' skip dinner, _non_, _et_ go straight f'r dessert."

She melted into his embrace as a fire erupted in the pit of her stomach. It was a tempting offer, they could always go out and eat tomorrow when, she had only just decided, she introduced him to the other X-Men. His warm breath was on the back of her neck, causing shivers down her spine. In that moment, she had forgotten to reprimand him for sneaking into her room instead of waiting at the gates and turned, capturing his lips with hers.

"Okay," she muttered, locking her door and pulling him over to her bed.

*****The Following Morning*****

Kitty, noticing the locked door and the fact that Rogue hadn't come back the night before (no one had seen her leave but they all assumed that she had, and merely locked the door from the outside to keep the others, namely Bobby, out of her room and, consequently, her underwear) simply phased in to gather any dirty washing her Southern friend had from the day before.

"_Don't cha wish you girlfriend was hot like me... Damned Jubilee playing that all night. Right, then. Jeans and top in the hamper, need to put away those shoes, dress and underwear on the floor... Hold on... She was wearing those last night. She _must_ have spent the night at Mr. Nameless' so why..._" Then she noticed the bed. There shouldn't have been even _one_ lump in it, but there were _two_! There was Rogue, her back exposed by the silk sheets draped across her waist as she lay, naked, on top of an equally naked man. She quickly phased back out of the room. Rogue could do her own washing.

Logan was walking down the hallway of the guest wing when he spotted Kitty phasing into Rogue's locked room. "_Hmm. Stripes didn't come home last night, then._" He continued on his way when a scent caught his nose. "_That's odd. Haven't smelled _that_ for four years._" Before he could wonder why he could smell that, he was nearly knocked over by Kitty who had suddenly phased back out of Rogue's room.

"Oh, like, sorry, Mr. Logan. I, like, didn't see you there."

"No problem, Half-Pint." Then he noticed the look on her face. "What's the matter?"

Kitty's eyes widened. "Like, nothing."

"Don't bullshit me, kid, I can smell a lie a mile off." He sniffed again, his brain putting two and two together. That scent, Kitty's obvious nervousness, Stripes' door locked... TABITHA GOSSIPING ABOUT ROGUE HAVING A BOYRFRIEND DURING DINNER!

_Snikt!_

The sunlight poured into the room like honey, warming her bare back as she slept contentedly, her head resting on the chest of her lover. They hadn't bothered going out for dinner the previous night, instead choosing to sate their carnal urges. There was a bang as the door burst off its hinges and Rogue and Remy suddenly jumped awake.

"Logan!" Rogue scrambled for the sheet, pulling it up, over her chest, as the man she considered a father stood, livid, framed in the doorway, catching her in an extremely compromising position with the man Logan had threatened to gut the last time they met.

"Gumbo," the short, both in temperament and in height, Canadian growled, darting forward and dragging the Cajun, who only just managed to catch one of the sheets to cover himself - without uncovering his thoroughly embarrassed Southern Belle in the process - out of the bed by the scruff of his neck and pinned him to the wall.

"It's naht what yah think, Logan!"

"Isn't it, Stripes? From where I'm standing, I think you slept with this!"

"I have _un nom_."

"You, shut it."

"By the Goddess, what is all this racket?"

"Cool, Logan caught some guy sleeping with.. Huh? ROGUE?"

"_Vas is das_? Rogue? Vhat is... _Gambit_?"

"Everybody back to bed, there's nothing to see here."

"Yeah, there is! Logan's got some guy pinned to the wall 'cause he slept with Rogue!"

"I'm, like, so sorry, Rogue! I came to get the laundry and saw you two asleep and tried not to disturb you but Logan caught me."

"Woah! Hot guy alert!"

"So this is Mr. Mystery."

"He's _completely_ built for sex!"

"Amara! Jubes! Tabby!"

"Oh, c'mon, Jean, even _you_ have to admit that's one fine piece of work!"

"Logan, do not hurt him!" Ororo was the voice of reason; she, Jean and Scott trying to usher people back to their rooms.

"I'm not gonna hurt him, I'm just gonna kill him."

"I implore you do no such thing."

The crowd that had formed outside the door split to reveal the Professor wheeling towards them.

"_Cool, he wears plaid pyjamas_!"

"Bobby, like, shut up."

"Logan, let him go."

"But, Chuck..."

"Now, please, my friend."

Logan, albeit reluctantly, released Remy and stood to one side, claws still unsheathed, the Cajun immediately moving to sit on the bed with Rogue and wrap an arm around her, holding her close to his bare chest.

"Now, then, Mr. LeBeau, Rogue, will you both get dressed and come to my study. I believe we need to talk."

The both Southerners nodded sheepishly and, eventually, the crowd dissipated, Logan telling them he would be right outside and would be listening for any 'funny business'. This was definitely _not_ how she planned to introduce Remy to everyone.

-X-O-X-

"Now, then, Rogue, purely to set Logan's nerves at ease..."

The Canadian in question snorted.

"... Could you please explain why Mr. LeBeau was in your room?"

"He was stayin' ovah aftah las' nahght."

"And what did you do last night?"

"We were goin' tah go out foah dinnah but Remy kahnda snuck intah mah room an' we stayed in."

"Den we slep' t'geder."

"Professah, we're both legalleh adults an' Remy's naht an Acolyte aneh moah so it's naht lahke ah'm fraternizin' with thah enemy or doin' anehthin' illegal. Besahdes, we've been tahgethah foah ovah a year. We _lived_ tahgethah in Mississippi!"

Logan spluttered at that last remark.

"I understand, Rogue, thank you. Now the reason I asked you to my study was to offer you a new position with the X-Men."

The two Southerners exchanged a conspiratory smirk.

"_En fait_, Profess'r, dat was a _petite_ t'ing _we_ were goin' t' talk 'bou'."

"Yah see, Professah, ah was gahnna introduce Remy in a slahghteh bettah way 'cause we were gahnna ask foah a permanent position with thah X-Men."

Logan immediately began shaking his head. "No, no way is Gumbo joining the X-Men. Stripes can have her position back but he's not getting in."

"If Remy can't join, ah'm _naht_ joinin'."

"C'mon, Stripes, be reasonable..."

"Ah _am_ bein' reasonable, Logan. Ah'm stayin' with Remy an' if he ain't allowed tah join just 'cause _yah don' lahke him_. Ah'm naht joinin' if it means ah can' beh with him."

"Very well. Mr. LeBeau..."

"Remy."

"Remy, welcome to the X-Men. Rogue, welcome back."

Logan merely gaped.

*****A Few Weeks Later*****

"Y' know dat I love it when y're on top, _chere_."

Rogue straddled him in the Danger Room, his hands pinned to the floor by her knees, her hands on either side of his head as she leaned down, giving him a glorious view of her breasts in her new leather suit.

"Yah're enjoyin' this, ain't yah?"

"_Oui_. Leather suits y', _chere_, maybe y' wear dat t'night."

Rogue rolled her eyes and dropped her head to beside his ear. "If yah're luckeh, ah won't wear anehthin'."

"_Bon Dieu_!"

Logan's voice crackled through the speakers. "Hurry up and finish the session so we can eat!"

"Okay, Logan!" Rogue placed her bare hand on Remy's face. "An' ZAP! Yah're out cold." Of course, she didn't turn on her powers.

They stood up and dusted themselves down, Remy planting a quick kiss on her lips, as Logan walked in.

"The Danger Room has accurate readings on your skills and powers now so you can both get going. MEN'S SHOWER ROOM, GUMBO, NOT THE WOMEN'S!" Logan added quickly as Remy made to turn right outside the door with Rogue instead of left.

Of course, it was obvious that he never paid any attention as a squeal of pleasure elicited from outside the room.

-X-O-X-

"What the Hell are you doing, Gambit?"

"Jus' teachin' _petites_ a few o' life's lessons, Cyke. No need t' get y' panties in a twist!"

"I don't wear panties!"

"Oh, so are yah a bahxahs or briefs kahnda guy?"

"Why are you even encouraging him, Rogue?"

"'Cause they aren't doin' anehthin' _that_ bad."

"It's starts with candy and progresses to money!"

"Jus' be t'ankful dat dey don' sit in on de private games Remy _et_ his _cherie_ play."

"Do you bet money in _those_ games, Mr. Remy?" Jamie piped up.

"_Non_, _mais_ de games're still fun." _"Heh, Scooter'd have a fit if he knew that it's clothes that we bet in those... Huh, the vein in his forehead tells me that he's probably figured that out..."_

"No more poker!"

-X-O-X-

"For the last time, Gumbo..."

"Y' said dat de las' t'ree times."

"For _the last time_: you two might be sharing a room and whatever you do in it, I don't want to know, but until it's soundproofed, _use a hotel_!"

"Mos' hotels don' have silk sheets _et_ Rogue loves silk sheets. Dey get her _trè__s _arou..."

"Hotel!"

-X-O-X-

"Yah've pissed off pretteh much every person in thah mansion in a mattah of weeks. That's gahtta beh a record."

They were lying in bed, legs and sheets entwined, in post-coital bliss.

"_Oui_, _mais _de room's soundproofed now so _M'sieur_ Claws can't do anyt'ing 'bout it."

"Yah love annoyin' him, don't yah?"

"_Oui_."

"Course yah do."

And with that, she pulled him into a searing kiss that left their minds devoid of any coherent thoughts.

* * *

**Woo! It's finished! 10 whole pages of ROMY! I've fixed the ending as well as I can but it's just one of those fics that can go on forever. Did my best, guys, sorry!**


End file.
